Tome of Troubled Times

Chapter 661: Such Is the Fate of the Defeated

This little rabbit had been daring even as a young girl. She had dared to whisper provocatively in his ear, coaxing him to hold her and tease her, acting as if she were bolder than he was. Perhaps it was that rebellious phase of adolescence when curiosity about such matters was both hazy and thrilling.

And yet, in spite of her education, she had no real understanding of such things back then. Her innocence and purity remained untainted, giving her an irresistible allure—the perfect mix of innocence and desire.

What a damn trap. Zhao Changhe inwardly groaned. At the time, I wasn’t even thinking about it! That would’ve been asking for trouble! But now...

Taking a wife was one thing—Chancellor Cao[1] teaches us that fooling around with other people’s wives and aunts leads to disaster. But as for taking a maiden...

Zhao Changhe’s eyes roved over her, and he saw clearly that his little rabbit was indeed no longer so little. Her chest, emphasized by the tight strap of her carved bow, formed a rather attractive curve that subtly trembled with her movements.

Is she bigger than Chichi? Poor Chichi, stunted by malnutrition...

Noticing his wandering gaze, Cui Yuanyang’s face flushed with embarrassment, yet there was also a trace of smug satisfaction.

Her upbringing made it difficult for her to utter anything too provocative, but this time, the rabbit had a sense of crisis. She had a nagging feeling that Zhao Changhe’s interest in her was waning, that the situation with the Cui Clan mattered more to him. If given the choice between a candle-lit conversation with Cui Wenjing and one with her, Zhao Changhe would most likely choose the former.

That’s goddamn unacceptable.

But now that she had made her suggestion, she could see Zhao Changhe's interest rekindle—his demeanor unmistakable.

The little rabbit inwardly huffed, finally grabbing Zhao Changhe’s hand and leading him toward her bedroom. “Last time you were here, I wanted to take you to see my room, but those gossipy busybodies wouldn’t let you. Now, we’ll go in openly, and we can even have them bring us wine and food... You haven’t had lunch yet, have you?”

He had been thinking about “eating” her, but how did the conversation turn to eating a meal instead...

Zhao Changhe felt a ticklish warmth in his heart, but he was too embarrassed to voice his thoughts. He followed her obediently, head down, suppressing a grin.

As they walked, the servants and maids along the way bowed nervously, keeping to the sides. Zhao Changhe recognized a few faces—they had not changed much over the past two years. What had changed, however, was their demeanor. Once full of wary disdain, they now fawned obsequiously, their attitudes transformed entirely.

Once, he had been barred from entering a maiden's room. Now, there wasn’t a corner of the Cui Clan’s estate that could bar his entry. Those who had once blocked his way were now bowing as they brought wine to serve him.

This must be what they mean by “thirty years east of the river, thirty years west.”

What was truly fortunate for the Cui Clan was not merely the affection forged through hardship between Cui Yuanyang and Zhao Changhe, but the insight of their clan head. It was Cui Wenjing who had a vision far beyond the norm and had never underestimated that young man he’d first met in difficult circumstances. His wisdom had influenced his children, Cui Yuanyong and Cui Yuanyang, shaping them into people of integrity.

Beyond that, the Cui Clan was not much different from any other aristocratic family.

Outside the bedroom, the maids hurriedly set wine and dishes on trays. Zhao Changhe, embracing Cui Yuanyang’s slender waist, entered her room.

This was Zhao Changhe's first time stepping into a young maiden’s private chambers.

Unlike most young ladies, Cui Yuanyang's room had no items related to the four classical arts. Instead, her desk was occupied by a small pile of books, with the top one being a paper edition of the Tome of Troubled Times. Zhao Changhe could not help but wonder what the blind woman’s opinion would be on pirated copies of her work.

There were no swords or bows either—nothing that might be found in the home of a military family. Instead, the decor was overwhelmingly cute. The bedding was pink and fragrant, with plush toys scattered about, snacks lying around haphazardly, and a vanity table adorned with an array of cosmetics and an almost glass-like mirror made from a rare reflective material. The room had an air of a modern girl’s space—though Zhao Changhe had no firsthand knowledge of modern girls’ rooms, he felt that this one was not far off.

The most distinctive feature was a saber hanging on the wall.

It was a rather crude and plain saber, the scabbard old and scratched and with dark red bloodstains all over.

Zhao Changhe walked closer and gently ran his fingers over it, drawing the blade slightly.

There were many notches along the edge and scratches on the flat, and the thick steel blade had essentially lost its practical use.

It was the saber he had used when escorting Cui Yuanyang home long ago, the one he’d won in a duel with the vice branch master in the stronghold of the Blood God Cult in Beimang. He could barely remember the man’s name now. Due to the intensity and frequency of the battles, the blade had been badly damaged, prompting Cui Wenjing to gift him Dragon Bird, which he carried to this day.

He had almost forgotten he had once owned such a blade... but here it was, carefully preserved in Yangyang’s room. To him, that journey had merely been another adventure along the road, a good experience among many of the same kind. But to her, it was clearly etched into her heart.

Guilt crept into Zhao Changhe’s heart. He had always thought of Yangyang as too young to understand her own feelings. But now, it seemed her emotions had always been ardent and genuine, whereas he always had trouble separating her from the larger context of the Cui Clan’s politics.

Suddenly, a pair of arms wrapped around his waist, and Cui Yuanyang leaned against his back, her voice soft as she asked, “What are you thinking about?”

Zhao Changhe whispered, “I was thinking that... perhaps we’ve spent too little time together.”

Cui Yuanyang mumbled, “If you know that, then why are you staring at the saber instead of turning around to look at me?”

Zhao Changhe turned, and Cui Yuanyang bounced on her toes, her lips puckered. “Kiss me.”

It was clear she was frustrated. Despite having grown taller, she still couldn’t reach him, even on the tip of her toes. It was a pain, really.

She hooked her arms around his neck, tugging him downward with all her strength. Zhao Changhe obliged, lowering his head slightly and allowing the little rabbit to finally land a kiss on the big bear’s mouth. Content, she playfully extended her tongue.

People might say that the daughters of the Cui Clan were Zhao Changhe’s spoils of conquest, but somehow, it felt more like he was her prize—a huge teddy bear from a shooting game at the county fair.

Refusing to be outdone, Zhao Changhe reached out to measure, thinking to himself, Now this is what a proper trophy should look like... Wait, are these actually bigger than Chichi’s?

Zhao Changhe’s hand slipped inside her robe, but it didn’t take long before he froze and chuckled in disbelief.

This little rabbit was actually wearing a traditional dudou under her clothes.

Cui Yuanyang, caught up in their kiss, immediately sensed his amusement. Her own boldness began to waver as her little heart filled with indignation. She stomped her foot in frustration. “Other people wear a dudou to be seductive, but when I wear one, it’s funny? I’m grown up! I’m an adult now!”

Zhao Changhe could not hold back his laughter, pulling out a small fruit and pressing it into her mouth.

Cui Yuanyang blinked in surprise, mumbling around the fruit, “What’s this?”

“A fruit from the far east, rich with the vitality of plants and trees. It’s said to have remarkable effects for preserving youth.” Leaning in close, Zhao Changhe whispered into her ear, “Yuanyang, don’t grow up anymore. You’re perfect as you are now...”

Cui Yuanyang blinked again, her cheeks tinged pink.

Zhao Changhe sat down on the edge of her bed, setting her onto his lap. His voice grew softer, with a teasing lilt, “You were right... Little Yangyang is the most fun...”

From within the ring on his finger, the voice of a young girl rang out angrily, “You damn pervert! Don’t fall for his tricks!”

But Cui Yuanyang could not hear this spectral interjection. Instead, she beamed with delight. “That’s exactly why I’ve been cultivating!”

Dragon Bird: "..."

I stayed with your family for so long, so I only thought it right to give you a piece of advice, but I never expected there would be someone so ridiculous. This is truly a disgrace to the time I’ve spent here.

Meanwhile, Zhao Changhe suppressed Dragon Bird’s voice in his mind. “Shoo! What does this have to do with you? You’re a saber—what could I even do to you, perverted or otherwise? Stay out of it... Wait a second, when did you start developing opinions on human relationships? You’re just a weapon.”

Dragon Bird did not bother replying.

After I became sentient, I’ve seen more of these embarrassing bedroom antics than I’d care to count. Where do you think these thoughts come from? You’re all revolting.

Cui Yuanyang happily nibbled at the fruit, her face lighting up as she finished it. “Will this really keep me young forever?”

“Well, no... but it can significantly slow aging. For the next few years, you probably won’t grow much older. And if you really advance with your cultivation, there’s a real chance you might keep that face for a long, long time.”

Cui Yuanyang froze, realization dawning on her. “Wait... something like this is a priceless treasure! If word got out that you had this, every noblewoman in the world would go mad. And you’re using it to... to... to make me more fun for you?”

Dragon Bird: “See? Now you understand what makes him a pervert.”

Zhao Changhe: “...”

Cui Yuanyang bit her lip, then leaned softly against Zhao Changhe’s chest, her voice as light as a whisper, “Then... why aren’t you playing yet?”

Dragon Bird: “?”

Zhao Changhe leaned down, pressing a kiss to the side of the little rabbit’s neck, stealthily unfastening her robe like a thief. His hands played over the fabric of her dudou. Even Dragon Bird, observing from its ethereal perch, had to grudgingly admit that this was genuinely entertaining.

“M-Miss...” came the trembling voice of a maid from outside the door. “T-the food is here...”

The scene inside the room was utterly scandalous, like a tale straight out of a commoner’s drama about noble ladies captured by bandits. The poor young miss... Those stories weren’t lies, after all

Cui Yuanyang’s eyes were half-lidded with a sultry glow as she leaned weakly against the man, her voice trembling. “Bring it... bring it in... I want Big Brother Zhao to feed me...”.

The maid: “?”

Wait, this story isn’t unfolding like it should...

Whether the narrative was accurate or not, to anyone outside the room, it fit the plot perfectly. In fact, back at the ruins of the banquet hall, someone was reporting to Cui Wenjing: “Patriarch, King Zhao has been in the young miss’s room for an hour... and hasn’t come out.”

Cui Wenjing’s expression remained stoic. “You’ve all seen it, haven’t you? If we had cooperated earlier, would things have come to this? Now, as the defeated party, we are at the mercy of the victor, and we can only accept it. I must endure this humiliation, so why should any of you be exempt?”

The members of the Cui Clan hung their heads in shame.

Although Zhao Changhe was Cui Yuanyang’s fiancé, for a man to so openly enter her private chambers before the wedding was, to their deeply ingrained sense of propriety, a thorough humiliation for everyone involved.

Cui Wenjing’s tone grew colder as he continued, “Do as I instructed. Divide the lands. Retain the core ancestral properties, but relinquish all land annexed in recent years and return it to the court. Register the concealed households and hand over their records. Incorporate the private army into the formal military. From now on, there are no longer Cui Clan soldiers—only the Han army of Jizhou. Do you understand?”

1. This is still just Cao Cao from the Three Kingdoms. ☜